His Saving Grace
by transparentchaos
Summary: Yuki Judai is cursed with immortality, a side effect of his want to protect his friends. His sanity is waning. He's lost all will to live, and yet, he continues on. All he wants is her. All he wants is to have his burden lifted, that he might spend the rest of his existence happy. Some strong language. Slightly A/U with with appearances from the 5D's cast.
1. Chapter 1

His Saving Grace

Yuki Judai is cursed with immortality, a side effect of his want to protect his friends. His sanity is waning. He's lost all will to live, and yet, he continues on. All he wants is her. All he wants is to have his burden lifted, that he might spend the rest of his existence happy.

Angst/Romance

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything copyrighted in this story. This is a fan-based writing.**_

Prologue: A Long Journey

* * *

He sighed as he laid his head on the pillow. He had to remind himself that he'd chosen this life. He'd chosen this life. He'd created his self-imposed exile. To protect his friends. To protect what family he had left. It hadn't always been that way. He still had the fond memories of his childhood even if they were almost a century and a half old.

His earliest years were the brightest. His mother was a lawyer, who in her spare time, volunteered at a charity for those in need. His father was a corporate head at Kaiba Corporation. He remembered their constant hustle and bustle, their energy, despite their demanding lives. He'd always felt grateful that they always managed to allot enough time for him.

When he turned five, everything went downhill. It had started one night when his father had brought him to buy some cards at the local game store. That day, he'd gotten Yubel from a pack. As they made the short walk home, a man who'd been down on his luck attacked. It happened in a flash. The pop of the gun, the flash of light, and the command to run and not look back.

They'd never caught the man that did it. In the next two years, Yubel had taken on the big sister role for him. They'd become inseparable. But as their bond grew, so had her malevolence. She wasn't as such anymore, but if she felt that he was threatened, the offending object would end up destroyed, or in a coma, just like then.

People had become wary of him. His impending bad luck spread around his circle of people like a wild fire. So, as any child would do, he looked for a solution. He found that solution in sending his sister into space with Neos, hoping that she would be pacified by the space waves. That plan later backfired.

His life had already gone downhill at an exponential rate. He had two years with his mother. She shielded him from his nightmares, comforted him in his fears and worries, and did what every good mother would do. He figured out what had happened too late.

His mother had gone on for two years. For two years, she wore a mask to protect her son from her sadness. In those two years, her eyes had lost their vibrancy, her hair became wiry and grey, and she lost whatever youth she'd had. The doctors said she'd died of natural causes, but he'd figured it out. She'd died from a broken heart.

He'd officially been orphaned at the age of seven. He had no relatives and nowhere to go. He'd cried in that hospital for three days straight. The doctors and nurses were kind enough to allow him to stay. On the fourth day, his neighbor had come to pick him up.

She was young, barely twenty-two. Whenever his parents had been busy, they'd asked her to babysit him for the evening or however long was needed. He'd come to think of her as another big sister. She took him back to her apartment, telling him that he could live with her.

She told him that he would be alright, that nothing else would happen to him. She stayed true to her word. His life had become as complete as possible again, despite the series of unfortunate events beforehand. She and her brother, who visited often, encouraged him to follow his dreams, to become someone great, for his own benefit.

When he was old enough, she'd encouraged him to try out for Duel Academia, to follow his dreams. He'd still spoken with her, but it wasn't as frequent. When he was old enough to grasp the situation, he would constantly apologize. He felt that he'd been a burden to her. She'd taken him in out of the goodness of her heart, and he had nothing to repay her with.

In his first year at Duel Academia, like every other school before, he'd been ridiculed and scoffed at for his appearance and his rank. If his peers found out he was an orphan, he figured it would probably make it worse. So he kept it to himself and kept a straight face and fought through. He proved himself quite effectively. Injuring himself several times in the process, of course. But he saved the world, right?

That year, he'd met her. She was amazing in her mind, body, and soul. She was strong-willed, popular, and graceful. Above all, she was humble, a quality lacking in many of their other peers. She hated people who believed they were God-given, and tended not to talk to people like that. When he'd told his sister, she told him that she might be his saving grace, that she was thankful that a girl like that existed in that day and age.

In his second year, he'd lost those he cared about. Especially her, but he didn't know how to melt the walls of ice she'd erected. He'd met them around that time. That, he was thankful for. They'd helped him get through to her, to save her. Most of what he had been doing had been for her anyways. He fought those in white. The alien foes that wanted to cloak the world in illuminating redundancy.

He lost one friend and rival to the darkness. He lost three to the "illuminating" light. He fought for all of them. He'd broken through to them, no matter how far gone they'd been. That year, he vowed he'd do everything in his power to protect all his friends, no matter what the cost.

Like most of his other plans, that backfired too. It all started in his final year with someone who fell into his boat. The man had lost his son. All the man wanted was his son, and he'd do everything to get him back. He could relate, but the man took various extremes, even going so far to transport the entire school to another dimension, where his exiled spirit was revealed as the mastermind. He beat her the first time, but like everything good, it came with a cost. In her loss, she imprisoned one of his friends.

True to his vow, he went to the ends of the earth to retrieve his friend, losing his other friends and his sanity in the process. He thought they'd died. More importantly, he thought she was dead. He'd forever lost her illuminating smile. In his loss of sanity, he gained the powers of gentle darkness. He was the reincarnation of Haou, a king and emissary of the balance between darkness and light.

Like rubber bands that are stretched too far, he snapped. Haou's incinerating rage, anger and hatred stemmed from the series of unfortunate events that occurred through his life, tainting the king's good willed nature. It took another magical force, the eye of Oricalcon, to give him back his waning control. He lost his will to fight after that. His strongest rival challenged his friend, who was possessed by his first spirit, to show him that he must fight, no matter what.

His rival lost. His resolve strengthened again and he fought. He got his friend back, and then he fought to protect and retrieve his other friends. He chose to fuse with Yubel, to grow up, to face the harshest realities of life.

The rest of that year was an arduous journey. Darkness encompassed the entire world, swallowing it up and taking everyone he cared about. Especially her. Her light shined through and brought him back from his pain, his sorrow. Then, she was gone. He fought and won, for what would be the final time in his academic career.

At the end, he chose to leave silently. His excuse? To help those with powers like him. Only Yubel knew it was a lie. He was one of a kind. There was no one else like him. Sure, people could see spirits, but spirits always managed to communicate. The truth was; he wanted to reduce the pain as much as possible so that she couldn't catch him in a moment of weakness, so that she wouldn't be able to break his resolve.

He imposed the exile, secretly keeping track of them all. He even traveled back in time, albeit after a near death experience. When he returned, he continued his journey, wandering aimlessly. Wondering why it was he that was destined to live a life of solitude and hatred.

His experiences had changed him. His physical appearance hadn't changed since his fusion with Yubel. Biologically, he was still seventeen. Mentally, he was a sage that lived through heartbreak time and again. After he'd supposedly turned twenty-four, he didn't see her again. She disappeared from his life. He gathered that she moved on, and she had. She never married, however, never found love, but she lived a full life.

He'd appeared at her bedside one day. She'd whispered. She thought she had been hallucinating. That it was impossible for him to be there. After all, he didn't look a different from when they'd graduated all those years ago. She'd died with a smile on her face, muttering something about seeing an angel.

That had been almost seventy years ago. The world had changed around him. His experiences aged him further. Zero Reverse had destroyed the city, but it had been rebuilt, from the ground up. Yusei would be around by now. It was only a matter of time until the man made his appearance in the limelight.

He had all his friend's decks. They were all on his desk, sitting neatly in their original holsters next to his own. Unlike his jacket, they remained perfect. He'd be damned if something happened to them. He used each deck as his own, a tribute to them and his camaraderie and love for them

He'd gone through two different identities at this point. Yuki Judai, his original name, was a missing wanderer and Jaden Yuki, a prodigious American professional duelist. He was rather fond of those names, a luxury he allowed himself. He was going by Yuki Judai at the moment and planned to for the next sixty, seventy years.

He was disrupted from his thoughts by a loud rap at the door.

"What could it be now?" he grumbled, getting up from his bed. "Who is it?"

"You haven't paid the rent yet!" a grey-haired man in a dirty white wife beater yelled.

"So that's what I was forgetting," Judai mused, reaching into his wallet. Pulling out a few hundred dollar bills, he said, "I gather this should be enough for a few months. Sorry for the inconvenience." With that, he closed his door.

In all honesty, his life wasn't that bad anymore. He was attractive, "young", and quick on his feet. Money wasn't an option since he had accrued a significant amount from his parents and his previous aliases. His apartment was in a better part of Neo Domino. There was a single bedroom, a waiting room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. He didn't need much.

"Smart ass," he heard the landlord mutter. Judai sighed again while looking at the blazer framed on the wall.

"Someday, I'll have to sign you and sell you as an antique," he laughed dryly. "Come to think of it, that was a really bad joke."

The brunette haired teen ambled to the kitchen, fixing himself some simple ramen cup noodles. He'd have to find a job soon. He wanted to keep a low profile, otherwise people would have questions. Questions were bad.

In his time alone, he'd built a D-wheel, made Riding Duel versions of all the decks (each won a major tournament), and reflected on his first life, the one that was the most important to him.

"Judai, I'm sorry for burdening you. If it's any consolation, I understand what it's like to lose everything," Yubel, his demonic spirit, consoled.

"You're not burdening me, Yubel. I chose to bring this upon myself," he replied, waving his hand.

"You've been a brooding mess ever since she died," she pointed out, motioning to a faded picture and sketch on the wall.

"Yeah, I know. It was going to happen eventually, but I just kept denying it," he said, seating himself on the couch and flipping on the television.

_The crowd was roaring. Chanting a name that was all too familiar. "Yusei! Yusei!" they chanted._

"_And Yusei Fudo has won the Fortune Cup! How is a mystery, but it must have been an amazing defeat to dethrone the King Jack Atlas!" the announcer exclaimed._

"What do you know? Yusei's finally made his appearance," Judai laughed, switching the television off.

"Should we go say hello?" Yubel asked curiously.

"No. We can't until after Paradox attacks. Otherwise time-ending paradoxes might ensue, no pun intended. It'll be nice to have human contact again, however," he replied, taking a bite out of his ramen noodles.

'Judai, I'm sorry. You've suffered through so much. Fate has dealt you a cruel hand, and yet you've rolled with it. You really are commendable,' she thought to herself, disappearing from his presence.

After a while, he got up from his place on the couch. Dumping his cup in the trash, he made his way to the bedroom where he grabbed his coat. Once he pulled on the coat, he made his way to the desk. He put each deck inside the jacket before grabbing his keys and leaving, locking the door on the way out.

"Cloudy with a chance of rain my ass," Judai muttered as he left the lobby of the building. Outside, it was sunny and clear. There was a light breeze, but it was enjoyably warm. "This isn't even close."

He let his feet carry him. He wasn't consciously moving, but rather, he was going by instinct. Within the hour, his feet had carried him to the older part of town, to a cemetery, the one where she lay, to be specific. His eyes widened when he realized that he was there.

He looked at the stones next to hers, those of his friends who lived their lives to the fullest. She was the last to leave him. She fought for months before she succumbed to time. He admired her for that. He gathered that all his friends had waited for him, hoping that he'd return so that they could all spend the last years of their lives together.

Johan had been the first to figure out Judai's predicament. At first, the elderly blunette didn't believe that Judai was actually there. Like her, he thought the brunette was a figment of his imagination. Everyone had accepted that Judai was long gone, to god knows where. When Judai turned up at his bedside, he laughed weakly, something they shared together. He'd been the first to leave.

Johan had asked him why he hadn't returned sooner. But both of them had already known the answer. Judai was protecting them as Darkness and the Light pursued him, each wanting to recruit him to their side, finally figuring out his weaknesses.

He stood, frozen in his spot for only God knows how long. No matter how many times he'd gone there, the result was always the same. He would be weak, tired, and weary. He wanted to sit down and rest, to join them, where he belonged, but he couldn't. There was work to do. He couldn't rest until it was gone, then maybe… just maybe… fate would afford him one more opportunity.

The sun had begun to set as he trekked back to his place. The sky had become a pinkish hue with some orange tinting. As he passed, people glanced at him oddly. He knew why. His cheeks were stained with tears. The tears of years of pain and suffering.

"Judai," Yubel whispered as he burst through the door to his apartment. "Judai, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," he croaked. "Never better."

"If we defuse, maybe-"

"No! I will not allow that, Yubel! I made a promise to you that we'd stay as one for all eternity! If I went back on that, I'd be no better than Darkness. Do you understand?" he shouted.

She nodded hesitantly.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have yelled. It was out of line," he apologized, putting his head down.

"No, no. I understand," she replied, giving him a reassuring smile.

"T-Thanks," he stuttered, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"You're tired. Go to bed," she commanded half-heartedly, giving him a nudge toward his room.

"But-"

"No 'buts,' just relax," she pressed. He complied, making his way back to his bedroom and undressing. 'I hope your luck turns around soon, Judai. You deserve some happiness.'

* * *

How was it? I found it when I was looking through some of my ideas. This was the only idea that went into a full blown story. I have most of it written, but I'm going to go through and look it over before I post it. If you like it, don't forget to review! Can you guess who the "she" in the story is? Until next time,

Transparentchaos signing out!


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone, and welcome back. Thanks for all the opinions and I'm really glad you enjoyed it! On an off-handed note, has anyone seen the anime Shingeki no Kyojin or read the manga? If not, it's awesome! I highly recommend it. Anyways, I really don't have much else to say but "Enjoy!" the first official chapter of **His Saving**** Grace**.

*Note: Judai's duel may be completely one-sided, but right now, that's part of the story and I figure that a master of the game like him would become that good after a century and a half.

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted materials in this**_** story.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Third Time is the Charm

He laughed at the irony of the situation. Chronos would have muttered something about how the world was ending, should it have come to pass, yet there he was, receiving a certificate that authorized him to teach, to impart his knowledge and experiences to those of the newest generation of duelists. He was sure that at one point, she'd been a teacher. After all, Darkness had shown him her dreams.

He landed a job at the Neo Domino Duel Academia, something he was somewhat grateful for. They hired him as an aide for one of the teachers in the class of graduating seniors. His job was to grade papers, keep track of credits, assist the teacher with classes, and whatnot. He didn't mind its mundane nature; rather, he welcomed it, hoping that it would get rid of the haunting memories of his past and give him something to look forward to. Perhaps he would find someone who'd give him a run for his money in a duel as well.

"Judai," Yubel muttered.

"Mph," the brunette groaned, rolling over and slowly opening his brown eyes, one after the other. "What is it, Yubel?"

"Judai, you need to wake up now. If you don't you'll be late," his partner informed him.

He rolled over slowly and swung his feet over the side of the bed, stretching lazily as he made his way to the bathroom to get himself ready. He stepped into the shower, sighing as the hot water rushed down his back, relaxing his muscles and refreshing him at the same time.

He left his bathroom, wrapped in a towel when he noticed clothes lying on his bed, neatly placed so that he could see them the moment he'd walked out.

"Good choice," he mused, picking up the white button up shirt and the red silk tie. "Don't like the pants, though."

"Well then, maybe you should buy more than three pairs of pants, no?" Yubel suggested.

"I could, but that would be too many to wash," he replied, shrugging into the shirt.

"So you'd rather not have nice clothes?" she asked sarcastically.

"It's not that, I just don't know what I'd need them for," he explained.

"I see," she replied.

"I must be getting a little fat," he said as he examined himself in the mirror. The shirt clung to his person more than he liked. The black slacks were no different. Judai ambled toward the door, clipping his deck to his belt and placing the other ones in his bag as he grabbed a black sport coat and his Osiris uniform shoes.

"Who would have guessed these would have lasted the longest, eh?" he asked no one in particular as he them strapped on.

"It's not that they lasted, it's that you had almost fifty pairs stashed away on the island that you had me retrieve for you," Yubel muttered.

"Oh," he laughed weakly. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome. Now stop dawdling, you need to get going," she commanded.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, stepping into the hallway outside his apartment.

He locked the door and made his way out to the street. The hustle and bustle of the morning commute had already begun. He looked at the map of Neo Domino, a black pen mark where the Neo Domino Duel Academia was located.

"The Tops?" Yubel asked.

"Yeah, I just need to take the train down there. No sense in using my D-Wheel," he replied, moving toward the nearest monorail terminal he could find.

* * *

She sighed as she claimed her fifth win of the morning. Her piers were becoming much too easy for her liking. She looked at her deck. It still didn't feel right. The wind blew through her long blonde tresses as her two friends, a raven-haired girl, and an auburn-haired one, approached her.

"Alexis! That was amazing! How long did it take you to build that deck?" the auburn-haired girl asked.

"Yeah! It's like you have a new deck every other day!" the raven-haired girl exclaimed.

"That's because she does!" the auburn-haired one exclaimed.

"I don't get why, though," the raven-haired said.

"Mindy, Jasmine, the deck just doesn't feel right. I just can't find one that works for me," the blonde, Alexis replied with a wave of her arm.

"I don't get it. How does a deck not feel right?" Mindy, the raven-haired girl, asked.

"I just don't feel it. The cards just don't seem to work very well with me. It's like clothes, if they don't fit, they don't feel right," the blonde explained.

"But you win with almost every deck you make! I guess that's why they call you one of the Queens!" the auburn-haired girl, Jasmine, gushed.

"I-I… Please don't call me that," Alexis sighed. "C'mon, we're going to be late for class."

* * *

The classrooms at the Neo Domino Duel Academia were definitely something for Judai. Everything inside them was high tech and therefore, touch or voice-activated. He'd gotten to the classroom early, something he rarely did in his three years at the Duel Academia Central, and was given a brief synopsis from the principal, who was the acting substitute, of what he was to do for that day, which was grading papers for actual teacher, who was out sick.

"Imagine if we had this at Duel Academia, eh?" Judai said.

"Technology advances quite rapidly," Yubel agreed. "Which is why I think it's time that you get rid of that old Duel Disk of yours. It's Solid Vision isn't quite up to par with the new versions."

"But that's what Yusei's for," he replied, completely missing the point.

"I'm going to stop talking to you now. I don't want people to think you're crazy," she said, slowly disappearing from his presence as he leaned back in a chair.

"I think I'm already past that point," he muttered half-heartedly, turning to look out the window.

"Hello, class, I'm your substitute for today. There doesn't appear to actually be any lesson plan, however, so I guess it'll be a free day for today. Do as you wish, but please, remain quiet," the teacher said as he turned to the boy who was sitting in the corner, diligently doing his work.

"Oh and that reminds me, your teacher was assigned an aide and today is his first day here," he said as Judai turned around. "Please give Yuki Judai a warm welcome."

"Huh?" the brunette said turning around in his seat.

Some of the girls in the classroom gasped. The moment they'd all gotten a look at his face, multitudes of whispers broke out.

"He looks so young!"

"Is he single?"

"How old is he?"

"He's an aide? He doesn't look any older than we do!"

The boy took out his ancient music player and stuffed one of the earbuds in his ear, hoping to drown out the noise and prevent his memories of his freshman year to flood back into his consciousness. Then, he grabbed his pen and returned to his work, finishing within the hour.

"Done and done," he said somewhat triumphantly. "That was tedious."

It was quiet in the classroom when he removed his earbuds. The class had lost attention in him; rather, they all had their attention on the two best duelists in the room, who were locked in a heated duel. Each side was fairly even.

He looked at the two competitors closely. One was a red-head with long bangs that were held by an odd, round hair clip. Her plant type monsters had an odd aura surrounding them. Then again, so did she. The other was a long blonde-haired girl who was using a fairy type deck.

His eyes widened as he fell out of his chair. "N-No. T-That… What?" he mumbled as he righted himself and bolted straight for the bathroom. Not one person had noticed.

* * *

"Judai! What's wrong?" Yubel asked, as she saw him crash into one of the sinks, then pound his fist into the wall.

"I-I… T-there's no way… H-How…" he whimpered as he repeatedly hit his head against the wall.

"Judai! What's-" Yubel began again.

"Is there something wrong, Mister?" a teal haired boy asked, confusedly while cautiously approaching Judai.

The brunette didn't listen. Instead, he'd fallen to the floor in his grief, pounding his fist into the tile, effectively cracking it. Blood had started to trickle from his knuckles as tears stung his eyes.

"You're bleeding! I'll go get the nurse," the boy exclaimed bolting out of the room.

"Judai! Judai! What's wrong!" Yubel screamed, solidifying her hands to grab her partner's shoulder.

"I-I… Her… here…" he mumbled incoherently as she positioned him against the wall.

"Who? Who's here?" she asked, confused and slightly panicked.

"Her… I-It's not even possible, is it?" he asked, taking deep breaths in effort to regain some of his composure.

"Who, Judai? I need to know who you're talking about," she demanded.

"Asuka. Asuka's here," he whimpered, burying his face in his hands.

"He's in here!" the teal-haired boy exclaimed, leading a raven-haired nurse into the men's bathroom. "He just fell to the floor and his hand was bleeding."

"Oh my! Are you alright?" the raven-haired woman asked, concernedly.

"Huh?" Judai said as he looked up. His eyes were glassy and his cheeks were painted pink.

"It looks like you were crying," the nurse continued, kneeling in front of him. "How come?"

"I-It's personal," he replied when he finally took notice of the boy, who was looking worriedly at him. "Thanks kid, sorry for worrying you."

Judai slowly stood up. Shakily, he took at step toward the sink, where he examined his hand. "Would you like me to bandage that for you?" the nurse asked.

"I think I'm fine, thank you, though," he replied, washing his hands in the sink, gritting his teeth as the soap ran over the cut.

"Alright, but if you need me, I'll be in the nurse's office," she said, leaving the bathroom.

"Again, thanks, kid," Judai said, turning to the teal-haired boy.

"Hey! It's no problem! But why were you crying, Mister?" he asked.

"I just saw something that I was trying to forget," the brunette lied, gently drying his hand with a towel. 'Am I really trying to forget her?'

"I see," the boy said. It was then that the boy noticed Judai's deck holster. "You duel too?"

"Well, of course! I wouldn't be here if I didn't, no?" Judai laughed lightly. "C'mon, I'll bring you back to your class. Then I can explain why you were out so long."

"Thanks! That's awesome! Can I see your deck?" he asked.

"I don't see why not," Judai replied. "But first, I'd like to know your name. You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger."

"My name's Rua! What's yours?" he asked as he took Judai's deck.

"Judai, Yuki Judai," the older boy said as he watched the younger one examine his deck.

"These cards look really old! No offense, but I think I could beat you," Rua exclaimed, handing Judai back his deck.

"Is that so?" Judai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeup! What class are you in anyways?" Rua asked.

"Actually, I'm a teacher's aide. I might become a teacher here next year, I suppose," he explained, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, I hear that a lot."

"Well, here we are, my classroom," Rua said unenthusiastically.

Judai laughed lightly. "I see."

"Rua! Where have you been?" the teacher demanded. Her eyes widened when she noticed Judai. "Um, can I help you?"

"It's my fault Rua here is late. He went to get the nurse because I injured myself. Please don't be angry with him," he explained.

"Um… Of course," the teacher blinked. "Thank you for telling me."

"I must get back to class, now. Sorry for the inconvenience," he said, turning to leave.

"Y-yeah, no problem," she replied, staring at the closed door.

When he returned to the classroom, the two girls were no longer dueling, rather, they were chatting about their cards and strategies when they noticed him enter. They turned their attention to him, approaching him as he took a seat at his desk, pulling his antique Duel Disk and a screw driver kit out of his bag.

"Um, excuse me," the red-head said, tapping Judai on the shoulder.

He turned around and looked directly at her. She inwardly flinched a little. The moment she looked in his eyes, she could feel that something was off about him. "Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"We saw you earlier and couldn't help but think that you aren't any older than us," the red-head continued motioning to the Asuka look-alike.

"I'm sorry?" he asked confused.

"We were just wondering, how old are you?" she asked.

"Hold on, can I get a name first?" he asked, waving his hands and shaking his head.

"I'm Aki Izayoi, and this is Alexis Rhodes," the red-head said.

"It's nice to meet you, Aki and Alexis," he said, catching himself before he said Asuka. "And I'm, uh, seventeen. Why does it matter?"

"Wait, you're seventeen? This must be some kind of joke! The principal said you'd replace this teacher next year!" the Asuka look-alike exclaimed.

"What are you getting at?" Judai asked, his voice getting lower.

"Duel me," the blonde said.

"I don't follow," Judai began.

"Don't give me that bull. I see that Duel Disk, now duel me!" she demanded. "You must have some amazing dueling skills if you think you'll be able to teach people at your age!"

He sighed as he attached his disk to his wrist. "Fine, only because you asked so nicely," he said sarcastically.

Everyone in the room, including the principal, took sudden interest in the duel that was about to take place. The principal had yet to test the aide anyways. Dueling against one of the Academia's best would have been a fine test for the "young" man.

"Ladies first," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Very well! Draw! The Agent of Mystery-Earth! Attack Mode!" the blonde girl called out. "When she's normal summoned, I can add one 'Agent' monster from my deck to my hand! I'll add the Agent of Creation-Venus! With that, I'll end my turn."

A grey skinned girl with bright wings appeared out of the card. She had one thousand attack points and eight hundred defense points.

"My turn, Draw! From my hand, I special summon the Elemental Hero Bubbleman! Attack Mode! When he's special summoned and I have no cards on my field, I draw two!" he declared, picking up two cards from his deck. "Next, I summon the Elemental Hero Airman! Attack Mode! When he's summoned, like your Earth, I can add one Hero from my deck to my hand! I'll add the Elemental Hero Neos!"

Two warrior type monsters appeared on the field. One was a streamlined warrior with powerful turbines for wings. He had eighteen hundred attack points and three hundred defense points. The other was a fat blue hero with a water gun. He had eight hundred attack points and twelve hundred defense points.

"Neos? What's that?" she asked.

"You'll see later. For now, I activate the Fusion in my hand! With it, I'll fuse the Burstlady in my hand and the Bubbleman on my field! Come forth! Elemental Hero Steam Healer!" he declared.

The warrior in heavy armour appeared with eighteen hundred attack points and one thousand defense points.

"He summoned three monsters in one turn!" one of the students whispered, triggering the whispers of the other students.

"What?" the blonde gasped.

"Elemental Hero Steam Healer, attack her Earth!" he directed. As the warrior launched at the fairy…

"From my hand, I activate the effect of Honest!" she declared, revealing the card.

He smirked. "I read right into that," Judai laughed.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"From my hand, I activate the quick-play spell, Enemy Controller! With it, I'll tribute my Elemental Hero Stratos to take control of your Earth for the rest of the turn?" he declared.

"What? That can't be!" she exclaimed.

"Now my Steam Healer's attack is switched to a direct one!"

The blonde groaned as her life points fell by eighteen hundred, resulting in her total to be reduced to twenty-two hundred. "H-He read that?" she muttered. "Very well, I activate the effect of the Gorz, Emissary of Darkness from my hand!"

A dark fiend type monster with blades on his arm and twenty-seven hundred attack points appeared next to a dark copy of Elemental Hero Steam Healer, who had eighteen hundred attack and defense points.

Judai smirked. "Earth, attack her token!" he declared.

She groaned again as her life points fell to twelve hundred. The whispers were becoming more excited. The seemingly unbeatable Alexis Rhodes of Neo Domino Duel Academia was getting swept by the teacher's aide.

"From my hand, I activate the quick play spell, Super Fusion!" he said again.

"What? What's Super Fusion?" she asked worried.

"I discard one card from my hand and I can use monsters from anywhere on the field as fusion material!" Judai declared as a strong wind took its place in the classroom. He placed Neos in the Cemetery. "I'll fuse your Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness with my Elemental Hero Steam Healer! Come Forth! Elemental Hero Esc uridão!"

The wind subsided as an black clad, blade covered hero appeared on the field with twenty-five hundred attack points and two thousand defense points.

"And since it's still my battle phase, I'll finish this! Elemental Hero Escuridão! Direct attack! Dark Eruption!" he yelled, reducing her life points to zero.

The whispers erupted into full blown conversations as Judai deactivated his Duel Disk. "Miss, are you okay?" he asked.

"W-What are you?" she muttered as she looked at her deck. "There is no way… No way…"

"Look, I think I was a little rough," he apologized.

The red-head girl laughed. "A little rough? You ended her fifty win streak in one turn!"

"Oh," he said looking down.

"Mister Yuki," the blonde said.

"Please, just call me Judai," he sighed. "I'm no mister."

"Well, um, Judai, I was wondering if you could help me build a deck," the girl asked, standing up.

"I- uh- I don't know," Judai stuttered. "I'm not that-"

"Nonsense! That was a marvelous win, son," the principal exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "It was amazingly timed and well thought out! My students could learn a thing from you! But I wonder, where you found those cards. They are very much so before our time!"

"These cards have been mine since I can remember," Judai shrugged.

"I see," the principal nodded. "Please, carry on with what you were doing, class."

"I- uh…" Judai began.

"Hm?" Alexis turned to look at him with one eybrow raised.

"Ah, nothing," he muttered, downtrodden as he returned to his desk to double check the stack of papers he'd graded.

* * *

"Judai, are you alright?" Yubel asked as he sat on one of the courtyard benches, watching the students enjoy their lunch breaks.

"I'm fine, Yubel. I'm sorry I concerned you earlier," he said looking to the sky. "You really love to mess with me, don't ya, asshole?"

"Excuse me?" Yubel asked, slightly offended.

"Ah, I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to that jerk that determines fate," Judai laughed sheepishly while pointing at the sky.

"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," she said.

"It was a figure of speech," he dismissed.

"There he is!" he heard someone shout. He looked in the direction of the screaming, slightly curious.

"That's the guy that beat her? He doesn't look that special," a small, teal-haired girl said, looking up at the older red-head.

"He beat her in one turn, without losing a single life point, Ruka," Aki explained to the girl.

"Hey! That's the guy I told you guys about! The one who was in the bathroom!" Rua exclaimed. "Hello, Judai!"

"Ah, hi," he waved, turning his full attention to them.

Ruka gasped as her Kuribon flinched back. "What is it, Kuribon?" she asked worriedly.

The small spirit looked toward Yubel, who was slowly fading from view. "Is there something wrong, Ruka?" Aki asked.

"It's nothing," the girl dismissed weakly.

"I can't believe you beat Alexis! That means you could give big sister a run for her money, maybe even Yusei!" Rua exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Judai raised an eyebrow amusedly. "Yusei, huh? You mean the World Riding Duel Champion?"

"Who else would I be talking about? C'mon! We have to take you to meet him after school!" the younger boy pressed.

He laughed, "You remind me of a younger version of myself. I'd love to go with you guys, but I have some things that I need to do tonight. Thanks for the invitation."

"Aw, it would have been awesome," Rua sighed. The three other people laughed.

"Excuse me, sir, but what was that thing standing next to you?" Ruka asked.

"What thing?" Judai asked back, taking a drink from his water bottle.

"It looked like a demon with three eyes," she explained.

He choked, then coughed roughly. "Excuse me?"

"Are you alright Mister Yuki?" Aki asked.

"I-I'm fine… what did you see?" he asked.

"It was a demon with three eyes. It looked like it was talking to you," she said.

'Crap! She saw Yubel! Who knew, there was a spirit duelist here,' he mused. "So I figure you can see them too, eh?"

"See… what?" Aki asked confused.

"You can see spirits too?" Rua exclaimed, worry laced in his voice.

"Spirits?" Aki asked again.

"Do you remember when I told you how Ruka got sick all the time and needed to be in the hospital? She said she could see spirits and that they were trying to communicate with her," he explained as Ruka looked at her feet.

"Y-yeah," Ruka said weakly, stepping back a little.

"Did I do something?" Judai asked.

"I-uh… I have to go," Ruka said, turning back toward the building.

"Hey, wait up!" Rua called, dragging Aki with him.

"Judai!" he heard another voice call.

"Boy, aren't I popular today," he muttered, taking another swig from his bottle. He looked toward the origin of the voice, seeing Alexis approaching, flanked by two other girls. "May I help you, As- I mean, Alexis?"

"I was just wondering when you'd be able to help me with deck building," she said.

"Wait- this is the guy that beat you?" the auburn-haired girl asked.

'Junko?' Judai wondered.

"No way! He doesn't look any older than we do!" the raven-haired one exclaimed.

'Momoe? Wait… they might just be look alikes. Does that mean that Fubuki is here too?' he thought.

"Mindy, Jasmine, be nice. He beat me fair and square. I thought I'd ask him to help me with my deck," the blonde explained.

"I guess there's a first for everything. I mean, when was the last time **you **asked for help?" Mindy half-joked.

"I actually must get back now, it was a pleasure meeting you all. Asu- ah, Alexis, just give me a date and time," Judai said, standing up and brushing off his pants. 'I really need to stop doing that.'

* * *

And fin! Please tell me how I did, if you enjoyed it, and whatnot. I'm going to pace myself when updating this story, so yeah. So please review and thanks for reading! Until next time:

Transparentchaos signing out!


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome to the second chapter of **His Saving Grace**! I want to thank all those who left reviews and their thoughts on the previous chapters, I really do appreciate them. I want to add that this story will take place between the Earthbound God arc of 5D's and the 'Bonds Beyond Time' Movie. Judai/Jaden will be, for some people out of character. He'll be more cynical, brooding and reserved. He'll be quieter and not as outgoing, so basically the beginning of Season Four of GX. I think people would be like that if they had to live forever, not happy and cheerful. I know I wouldn't be.

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, or any other copyrighted materials mentioned or insinuated in this work. This is purely a fan-based writing.**_

Chapter 2: In His Mind

* * *

Previously:

"I guess there's a first for everything. I mean, when was the last time **you **asked for help?" Mindy half-joked.

"I actually must get back now, it was a pleasure meeting you all. Asu- ah, Alexis, just give me a date and time," Judai said, standing up and brushing off his pants. 'I really need to stop doing that.'

* * *

Now:

"You could look at it this way. It could be a blessing," Yubel reasoned as she and Judai made their way back to the classroom.

Judai loosened his tie, sighing. "It could, but knowing my luck, it's more likely a curse. Do you think there's any relation?"

"Relation? With the Tenjoins? I'm not sure. The likeness is uncanny, though," the spirit replied. "Besides, she never married. How would she have kids?"

"There's always the ever promiscuous Tenjoin Fubuki," he remarked dryly. "She might be his great-grandkid or something."

"That does have some sense to it," she replied, pausing to think about his previous comment. "Since when did you know about promiscuity?"

He snorted. "I'm not that dense, you know. I just know when is and isn't the appropriate time for things like that."

"I see. Very well, get back to class, Judai. You still have some work to do, I gather," she said, disappearing from his presence.

"Yes, Ma'am. It's almost like I'm the student here," he muttered.

"Um, excuse me, but are you a new student here?" a girl around his age asked.

"Me?" Judai asked, turning to face the person. She was about his height. She was wearing the red school uniform of the Tops Duel Academia, which clashed with her curly blonde hair.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around here before," the girl nodded.

"Yeah, you could say that, but I'm not really a student," he replied.

"Oh? Then why are you here?" she asked.

'Where's this going? All this small talk is going to make me late,' he thought, turning back and walking in the direction of his classroom. "I have my reasons. And not to be rude, but I must be going."

"Can I get a name first?" the girl called to Judai's receding back. He stopped for a moment.

"Yuki Judai," he said before continuing on.

"Oh! I'm Kobayakawa Ran," the girl hollered. "I'll see you around!"

"Making friends already, are we?" Yubel asked, seemingly disinterested.

He grunted in response, wrenching the classroom door open and filing neatly into his seat. He groaned inwardly when he saw the large stack of papers on his desk with a small note resting on the top.

_These are some more papers that the teacher needs graded by the end of the day, five o'clock at the latest. Also, please put the scores into the grade book. Just wave your hand over the desk, the entire desktop is a computer. Your password and staff I.D. are under this sheet. Leave the stack of papers on her desk once you are done. Thank you._

"It looks like you have your work cut out for you," she observed. He nodded silently, picking up his pen and starting from the top of the stack.

By the time the brunette was complete, the students had already left the class and the sun was setting over the Neo Domino City skyline. He stretched in the fake oak seat until his back and neck gave a satisfying crack. Then, he got up and placed the stack of papers on the teacher's desk.

Judai took a deep breath as he looked around the empty classroom. It was quiet. The dusk gave the room a surreal amber glow, making him wonder if he was simply stuck in a perpetual dream that he'd yet to wake up from, that at any moment, he'd be back in the Osiris dorms with Sho, Manjoume, Rei, Fubuki, Kenzan, and Asuka. He turned his head swiftly when the door to the classroom opened.

"Ah, Mr. Yuki. I see you're complete with your task?" the principal smiled, walking up to the desk.

"I have, sir," he said politely.

The older man laughed warmly. "My, my, you're very formal for a young man. Your application said you were seventeen. At first, I thought it was a joke, but upon closer inspection, you're much more qualified than any of the other prospective applicants, yet you've never attended any sort of formal school," he said.

"I was home schooled with accelerated courses. By the time I was ten, I could do college work," Judai lied. "I stopped my studies when my parents died."

"I see. Quite amazing, lad. I can see that you have potential as a teacher here, yet by the way you dueled Miss Rhodes earlier today, I could have sworn that you were a professional," the principal began. "So I've been meaning to ask you, why teaching when professional dueling would have been a much more… lucrative… occupation?"

The "young" man stopped for a second, recalling his days under the alias of the professional duelist Jaden Yuki and his rise to the top. Those memories led to the day Muto Yugi, the legendary King of Games, passed the torch to him, Yuki Judai, the day that he received Hane Kuriboh and the events that followed.

"Mr. Yuki?" the older man said, snapping Judai out of his stupor.

"Ah, I'm sorry, sir. I was thinking about that myself. I don't really have an answer for that," he replied.

"I see," he said, sighing. "It was a pleasure speaking with you, Mr. Yuki. Have a nice evening." With that, the principal left, the room once again becoming silent.

"Likewise, sir," Judai replied quietly, picking up his bag and preparing to leave when he noticed a card lying face down on the floor.

"I wonder what that could be," he said curiously, picking up the card and brushing the dust off it. Upon closer inspection, it was a trap card, marked by the royal purple around its edges. His eyes widened when he saw the art on the card. The picture depicted a masked ballerina with flowing black hair in a pink, frilly dress, dancing under a spotlight.

His eyes widened. Instinctively, he reached for his bag, pulling out a specific deck holster he kept in a separate pocket from the rest. He carefully opened the holster, sighing in relief when he saw that the card wasn't hers. The Doblé Passé he'd treasured rested neatly in its deck. He pocketed the second one, standing up and leaving the room, shutting off the lights after him.

"I wonder who this could belong to," he mused.

* * *

"Where did it go?" Alexis muttered, searching her school bag and jacket for something. It was a warm, clear Friday night and both Mindy and Jasmine had convinced her to hang out with them.

"Is there something wrong, Alexis?" Jasmine asked as she, Mindy and Alexis were walking toward the shopping area of Neo Domino.

"I could have sworn that I had it a second ago! How could it have disappeared?" the blonde asked, frustrated.

"How could what have disappeared?" Mindy asked.

"My card. You know, Doblé Passé," she replied.

"That card? Why are you searching so much? It was such a suicidal card," the raven-haired girl said.

"I just- I don't know. I'm just really fond of it, I guess," Alexis shrugged.

"It'll turn up eventually," Jasmine dismissed. She pointed in the direction of a coffee shop. "C'mon, I want some tea from that place over there."

"I guess," the blonde sighed.

"Hey, look at that!" Mindy exclaimed excitedly.

"What, Mindy?" Jasmine asked.

The raven-haired girl pointed toward a man seated in a corner of the café, reading a book as a simple coffee rested on the table. He was wearing a black turtle-neck and skinny blue jeans. Black, thick-framed designer glasses adorned his face. His brown, dual-toned hair seemed to rustle lightly as air from the air conditioning unit blew through it. The two girls gushed.

"He looks so sophisticated!" Jasmine gushed.

"Wow! He's gorgeous!" Mindy agreed. "We should go and say hi!"

The two girls nodded, leaving Alexis standing in line. She sighed. Those two girls were constantly chasing boys, but that particular one looked familiar. However, she couldn't place where or when she'd seen him.

"Are these seats free?" they asked.

The man looked up from his book, and nodded. The two girls gushed more, catching a glimpse of his dark brown eyes. "I said 'Yes, they're free,'" the man said, turning back to his book.

"Thanks!" the two girls exclaimed, sitting down in the seats.

"So, what's your name?" Mindy asked, resting her elbow on the table. The man remained silent, as if he had ignored her question.

"Hello?" Jasmine said, waving her hand in his face. He jumped a little, looking back up. He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you, I was just caught up in this book," he apologized. "What were you saying?"

"We were wondering what your name was," Mindy gushed, moving closer to the man.

He chuckled awkwardly, trying to move away, only to find that he was blocked in by each girl. "I'm Yuki Judai."

The two girls gasped. "W-wait, you're that guy that beat Alexis!" Jasmine exclaimed. 'We just hit on a teacher…'

"Ah, I remember you two. What were your names again?" Judai asked.

"I'm Mindy!" the raven-haired girl smiled.

"I'm Jasmine!" the auburn-haired girl greeted. "Alexis! Mr. Yuki is over here!"

The blonde turned and looked toward her friends. When she saw Judai remove his glasses, she instantly recognized him. Some other women seemed to look his way as well as she made her way through the crowd with three drinks.

"Mr. Yuki! It's a surprise to see you here," Alexis exclaimed.

"Please, just call me Judai. I'm not your senior," he said standing up. "I should be leaving now, you three enjoy your evening."

"W-wait! Where're you going?" Alexis called after him as he began walking away.

He stopped and turned around. "I have some things to do. Have a good weekend," he smiled, turning back.

"Wow, he's so mysterious!" Mindy gushed.

"It makes him really cute, especially with those glasses!" Jasmine added.

"You guys are hopeless, hitting on a teacher," Alexis sighed.

"Oh c'mon! Be a girl for once, Alexis! He's our age, he's obviously really smart, he's a great duelist, and he's hot!" Mindy said while ticking Judai's attributes off on her fingers.

"By the way he was dressed, he looks really rich," Jasmine added.

"He's the perfect guy too! I mean, with all his mysteriousness, and he seems really nice," Mindy concluded.

Alexis laughed at their reasoning. "You two **are** hopeless romantics," she sighed.

"How long are you going to isolate yourself from people? And in such a large city too?" Yubel asked as Judai adjusted the shoulder strap on his bag.

"Darkness still exists, Yubel. The Light of Destruction does as well. I can't allow anyone to get too close to me," he sighed. "Until the day I can rest in peace, my work will never be done. I can't allow myself friends until then."

"I believe you, but with the number of women that practically throw themselves at you…" she began.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just making observations," she shrugged. She noticed that they were riding an elevator. "Say, where are we going?"

He remained silent as he stepped out on the landing of an observation deck that overlooked the vast ocean adjacent to Neo Domino.

"Always the one for scenery, aren't you?" she smiled as he leaned on the railing.

He nodded, "It calms my nerves. I don't know what tomorrow will bring… nor do I want to know. It unnerves me that I can't fight unless absolutely necessary. The Earthbound Gods made me wonder. They made me think. W-what if… what if I had to intervene? What if it was too late? I can't fight on the frontlines; I have to work in the shadows. It's Yusei's job to beat the bad guys. This is **his** generation. This is the first time I've found someone worthy to pass the torch to in all my time here. He's the someone who'll make sure everything turns out for the better."

"Judai, you've taken your responsibilities for so long. You're the Herald of Gentle Darkness, Haou. Anyone who knew you would be proud of what you've become," Yubel assured him. "You should just pass it to him anonymously, like Yugi did with you."

"I'm scared," he sighed, his eyes dancing about at the ocean below him. "I'm scared that I'll lose anyone that I care about. I don't have any family anymore, I don't have my friends, and I'm terribly lost. I can't do that either. If I do, the incident with Paradox may end differently. I can't risk that. The future isn't set in stone. It's decided by the actions done today."

"Judai," she whispered.

"I-I'm scared, Yubel. I don't know what I should do," he whispered.

"I know," she replied. Judai could feel the presence of all his monsters, Johan's monsters, and Manjoume's Ojamas as they stood behind Yubel, smiling.

"You have us! We'll fight with you!" Sapphire Pegasus declared. "You're our partner and Johan's best friend!"

"You're the closest think we have to Manjoume-Aniki!" Ojama Yellow cheered.

"Kuri!" Hane Kuriboh said.

"Remember, Judai. It isn't over until the last card is dealt," Yubel told him. "No matter what, everything will be alright, and we'll fix anything when the time comes."

"Everyone…" Judai whispered. "Thank you…"

* * *

He stirred as the rays of the morning sun shone in his face. If he'd been as was before the Incident in the Dark Dimension, he would have slept right to noon, but after his fusion with Yubel, he would wake as the sun rose, only sleeping in when he was extremely worked.

"That's really bright," he muttered.

"Good morning, Judai," Yubel greeted, leaning against a wall.

"Yubel," he nodded. "I'm going to take a shower, maybe find something to do afterward."

She nodded, disappearing from his view again.

On another side of town, in an upscale residential area, Alexis awoke from her slumber. She yawned lightly and sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, sister!" a man with brown shoulder length brown hair exclaimed, bursting into the room with a tray of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and orange juice.

"Atticus? Why are you awake so early?" she asked groggily.

"Why, I wanted to bring you breakfast! That and I must get ready anyways. Mom and Dad will be home soon and I want to introduce them to Mackenzie!" he explained.

'That's right, he's dating that American girl,' she thought to herself, picking up the slightly burnt bacon. "Er- thank you for breakfast, Atticus."

"It's my pleasure! So what do you plan to do today?" he asked, seating himself at the edge of her bed.

"I was going to meet with Izayoi and her friends. I'm beginning to think she has a thing for Fudo Yusei," Alexis said, closing her eyes.

"Is that so?" Atticus asked. "Do you have a thing for the Riding Duel Champion as well?"

"Gah! What are you talking about?" she exclaimed, surprised by his accusation.

"If so, I'd have to kick his ass," he said solemnly.

"I don't, but thank you for your care," she sighed. Atticus nodded, standing up and moving toward the bedroom door to leave. Just before he did, he paused.

"That reminds me. I heard you were defeated in one move," he said.

"H-How did you hear that?" she asked, again surprised.

"Jasmine and Mindy told me. Apparently, it's a big deal since he ended such a high streak so easily," he said.

"What's your point?" she asked curiously.

"You aren't mad that you lost, are you? It's never good to dwell on losses. It makes people crazy," he advised.

"I know, Atticus. I'm not mad. He was just on a whole new level, using such old style monsters too," she explained.

He chuckled a little. "I'd like to meet this guy, Alexis. Jasmine and Mindy seem smitten with him. I want to make sure he has no ill intentions."

"Yeah," Alexis nodded as Atticus left the room, leaving the blonde girl to her thoughts. 'I still have to set a date with him. Today would be okay, I guess.'

She made her way to her bathroom, stripping and stepping into the hot water, letting the sleep wash away. A half hour later, she reentered her room, making her way to her dresser, where she picked out a blue blouse and some white skinny jeans.

"This works," she said to herself, examining her outfit in the mirror.

"I'm leaving now! Bye, Atticus!" she said as she rushed out the door. He simply waved in response, turning his attention to a blonde girl sitting next to him on the couch.

She looked at her phone, noticing a message from Aki. She read it. _'I can't meet you today. Something came up.'_

Alexis sighed. "I guess now would be a good time since I'm free," she said as she scrolled through her contact list until she reached the name she's been searching for.

Judai paused as he saw his cell phone vibrate. He was standing in his kitchen, browsing his fridge for anything he could eat. "I wonder who that could be," he mused, picking it up.

"Hello? Yuki Judai speaking," he greeted politely.

"Mr. Yuki?" a voice said from the other line.

"Alexis?" he asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah! No, I was just wondering if you were free to help me with my deck building," she replied. He could sense slight nervousness in her voice.

"I guess," he answered. "Is there a specific place you'd like to meet at?"

"I- uh- there's a game store downtown. I can send you the address," she said.

"Sure, I'll see you then," he replied, smiling.

"Bye! I'll see you soon!" She ended the call.

"Looks like I've found something to do," he mused, grabbing a clean pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt.

As he left his apartment, he pulled out his phone, reading the address sent to him from Alexis and inputting it in his phone's map application while strapping his bag to his person. "It looks like I'll have to take the train down to the business district and walk a few blocks," he said, staring absently at the dot marking the location of the game store.

"Are you sure this is… ethical?" Yubel asked.

Judai blinked, turning his head in toward the demonic spirit. "What do you mean?"

"Aren't you her teacher?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure there are laws against this kind of thing."

"Relax, it's not like I'm going to do anything. It's just help with some deck-building. I'm not technically her teacher anyways," he explained. "I'm just hired help for now."

"Would you be alright, though? I mean, she looks exactly like her," she asked, half worried.

"I think I should be fine. If it goes south, I'll simply reschedule. You said yourself that I need to interact with people again," he replied, unsure himself.

"I just don't want you going back into this too fast. You're not as personable as you were one hundred years ago," she half-joked.

"Yeah… I know," he sighed. For a Saturday morning, the train was packed with people. He gathered it was for some big event or announcement, not really caring either way. He just wished that he had more breathing room.

More than once, women slipped their phone numbers into his pocket, which made him uncomfortable with their lack of respect for his personal space. Yubel couldn't help but agree with those random women, however. He was dashing, from her point of view. His typical appearance would consist of his black turtle-neck or T-shirt that clung lightly to his slightly muscled figure, blue skinny jeans and his Osiris uniform boots. He also made a habit of wearing a small locket that held a picture of his friends around his neck and black, thick-framed designer glasses. (A/N: similar to the one Kaiba uses in the Original series.)

To anyone who didn't know him, he looked like a young professional at the very least, not a wanderer who'd fought the supernatural in two dimensions. They were always surprised when he told them he wasn't what they thought.

On the train to downtown, Judai scrutinized the people around him. It was a habit he'd acquired after Paradox, not willing to get into an altercation that he used to think would prematurely end his life. Now, if he was attacked, it was simply an annoyance that would usually end in massive amounts of property damage after Haou was done with them. There were families with small children, groups of teenagers chatting and relaxing with friends, business people and retailers and people of all walks.

He would often wonder what it was like to live a life of normality, and not one where life and death could come knocking at any second. Some part of him envied their carefree nature, but a voice in the back of his head would always tell him that there was someone who had to take on the responsibilities he carried.

Judai looked up from his book as the train came to a halt. As he stood up, he brushed off his pants and adjusted his bag, silently making his way toward the station platform. The downtown train station was bustling with more activity than he'd originally thought. Everywhere he went, he was jostled and pushed as the citizens and tourists tried to get to their destinations. When he finally squeezed out of the crowd onto the street, he took a deep breath while instinctively and protectively checking to see that his deck was still in its holster, thankful that his personal space bubble wasn't invaded anymore.

"Say, what time is it?" he asked, checking a titanium wristwatch that adorned his wrist. "I still have time."

"When was the last time we were in the heart of the city?" Yubel mused, looking at the glass panels on the buildings that housed major firms and businesses.

"I believe it was right after Zero Reverse," Judai replied, scratching his chin. "At least that was the earliest I can remember."

"Shall we start moving?" she asked him, floating in the direction he was supposed to go.

"I want to get something to eat. I haven't eaten yet," he replied, moving in the opposite direction.

"Be quick about it, then. We haven't got all day," she warned.

He laughed lightly. "Weren't you telling me to take it easy?" he asked, amused.

She said nothing as she disappeared from his presence, something she did the few times he managed to outwit her. He chuckled again, walking off toward the nearest deli.

* * *

And that's that! Please, tell me how I'm doing. I really do like opinions. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer in the next chapter; just leave it in your review or PM me. Thanks for reading! Until next time,

Transparentchaos signing out.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello all! Welcome to the third chapter of **His Saving Grace!** I want to thank everyone for their support and their opinions. It helps me greatly as a writer and I hope it makes the story more enjoyable for all of you! On one note, Aki isn't a spirit duelist. She can manifest her cards as real beings, but she can't see spirits herself, as far as I know. So please, enjoy!

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or any of the copyrighted materials in this story**__._

Chapter 3: Duel! The Rebirth of Johan's Spirit!

* * *

Previously:

"Shall we start moving?" she asked him, floating in the direction he was supposed to go.

"I want to get something to eat. I haven't eaten yet," he replied, moving in the opposite direction.

"Be quick about it, then. We haven't got all day," she warned.

He laughed lightly. "Weren't you telling me to take it easy?" he asked, amused.

She said nothing as she disappeared from his presence, something she did in the few times he managed to outwit her. He chuckled again, walking off toward the nearest deli.

* * *

Now:

He flinched inwardly as he entered the oddly lively and bustling shop. Years ago, he would have been excited by the fact that hundreds, possibly thousands, of new cards under his very nose. He could simply go up to the counter and purchase as many packs as he want, but dueling had lost its luster to him, even after going through everything to recover the enjoyment of the game.

Judai causally browsed shelf upon shelf of single cards, packs, starter and structure decks, and other trinkets, accessories, and toys as he waited for his rendezvous with the blonde Asuka look-alike. There were a few packs that caught his interest, albeit faintly. These new decks were all about quick synchro and quick, devastating assaults. He wondered, perhaps, if they were based off his, rather Jaden's, play style.

"See anything you like?" the said blonde asked as she watched the brunette. He turned around and casually raised an eyebrow.

"When did you get here?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Can't you show some enthusiasm?" Alexis joked, trying to lighten the awkward mood.

"I am," he said evenly. 'I'm starting to act like Kaiser.'

"Uh- well then," Alexis began, desperately looking for something to talk about, "I guess we should start?"

He nodded, motioning to a table, pulling stack after stack of cards from his bag. She gawked at the sheer amount he'd brought for her. After the initial shock, she picked up the nearest stack as Judai continued to place cards on the table. Her eyes widened when three quarters of the stack were rare cards that any collector or professional duelist, for that matter, would kill to get their hands on.

"T-These," she stuttered.

"They're extra cards I have at home. Go ahead and take any you feel you want," he said.

"B-But," she stared in awe, "these cards are…"

"That's a lot of cards, mister!" a small child exclaimed as he ran up to the duo. Judai and Alexis looked at the boy curiously.

"Katsuya!" a woman in her early thirties called, running up to the child. "I'm so sorry if he bothered you."

"It's fine," Alexis replied with a small smile at the child's enthusiasm. The mother quickly led the child away as Judai spoke up.

"Hey kid," he called. The three looked at him curiously. He picked up a stack of cards from the table and handed them to the small child with a smile. "Take good care of these."

"Thanks mister!" the child exclaimed, eyes brightening.

"Please, this is too generous," the woman exclaimed. She noticed that the top card on the pile was the same as a very expensive one in a display case. "We can't take this."

He shook his head as she tried to return them, much to the child's chagrin, pushing them back in her direction. "It'll be troublesome to carry them across town again. I insist," he replied.

"Thanks again, mister!" the child cheered as his mother led him out of the store. It took a lot of coaxing, but Judai managed to convince the woman to take the cards. Alexis smiled as she watched him chatter excitedly about what he'd be able to do with his new cards.

"That top card alone would be worth as much as a new computer," she said to the ex-Osiris as he took out random cards.

"I know," he said simply. She frowned. He was certainly this quiet at school, but she'd figured it was professionalism, not his actual personality.

"You know?" she asked, confused.

"I have no use for it. I might as well give it to someone who'd cherish it," he explained. "What do you think about these?"

She looked at the cards carefully. They seemed to be ritual styled monsters, which were considered an old style of dueling that died out completely just before the release of synchro monsters. Alexis looked at him, confusedly.

"What are these?" she asked.

"The Cyber Angel series. They're fairly old, but they're quite formidable when built right," he said.

"Cyber… Angel… I like the ring to that," she smiled. He smiled back.

"I'm glad," he said, as they delved into the stacks, picking out cards that would complement the deck. She gasped when she saw it.

"Where'd you get this?" she asked, holding up a trap card, Doblé Passé.

"I found it yesterday after school. I thought I'd return it to the owner. It must have accidentally slipped into the pile," he shrugged.

"So that's where I left it," she mused. His eyes widened.

"T-This is yours?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I've had this for years. It's always in my decks," she replied.

"I-I see," he mumbled.

"Mr. Yuki, are you alright?" Alexis asked. It appeared the soon-to-be-teacher's mood had dropped significantly. He nodded anyways, producing a forced smile.

After some time of strategy explanations and combo designing, Alexis felt confident with the deck she'd built. It seemed to be consistent, explosive, defensive, and offensive all at the same time. She looked at the brunette. He was still absently shuffling through some of the cards.

"Um- Mr. Yuki?" she said, gaining his attention. He looked up.

"Hm?"

"I-I was wondering if you could help me test out this deck," she said, slightly unnerved by his intense stare.

"I don't see why not," he replied, pulling out Asuka's deck.

She ground her teeth as her life points fell to zero. The deck was great. In fact, it was amazing! It fit her perfectly, but he countered her perfectly, with the same deck for that fact. At least she'd managed to knock out some of his life points this time.

"H-How?" she muttered.

"I've had this deck for years," he said. "It's only natural that I have more experience with it than you do. I must say, you did really well with that deck, though."

"T-Thanks," she smiled.

"Hey! Are these your cards?" someone asked. Judai turned around, looking at three teens around their age.

"Yes, why?" Judai nodded.

"This handful has to be worth at least over three hundred thousand yen (est. three thousand USD)," one of them exclaimed, holding up a stack.

"Please put those down," he requested, his voice low and even. The teens had an evil glint on their face.

"We'll duel you for them," one of them suggested. Judai rolled his eyes, disinterested, yet he accepted their challenge.

"Just so you know, we're the best duelists in this place," one of them laughed, hoping to intimidate the brunette. Judai placed the extra cards back in his bag, snatching the cards out of their hands.

"So?" he asked nonchalantly.

"You have zero chance of winning," one of them smirked.

'God, that phrase is annoying to hear,' Judai flinched. Yubel snorted. His opponents took it as a sign of fear and laughed.

"Duel!" Judai and one of the boys shouted, inserting the deck into the disk.

"I'll start," the teen said. "I activate Six Samurai United! When I do, I can add one counter every time I summon a 'Six Samurai' monster! Then, I summon Six Samurai Kageki, attack mode! When he's summoned, I can special summon a 'Six Samurai' from my hand! Kagemusha of the Six Samurai!"

"These things," Judai groaned.

"Now, I release the United to draw two! Now, I activate Asceticism of the Six Samurai, allowing me to special summon Elder of the Six Samurai from my deck! Next, I tune the Kagemusha with my Elder! I synchro summon the Legendary Six Samurai Shi-En! In attack mode!" he said proudly. "Try and get around these guys and my facedown.

"Draw," Judai said calmly. "From my hand, I summon the Summoner Monk. His effect automatically switches him to defense mode."

"That's a rare card!" a bystander exclaimed as a monk in purple robes appeared on the field. It had eight hundred attack points and sixteen hundred defense points.

"No way! Those things are extremely hard to get!" another agreed.

"They're worth tens of thousands!" someone added.

"I activate the effect of Summoner Monk," Judai said calmly. "By discarding one spell card, I can special summon one level four or lower monster to the field in attack or defense mode. Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus, come forth!"

Everyone gasped. The Gem Beasts. Every avid fan of Duel Monsters knew them. The legendary, one-of-a-kind deck that had been considered lost after the death of their original owner, Johan Anderson. It was as if someone had discovered the library at Alexandria.

"M-Maybe they're fake," someone offered.

"N-No, then the duel server wouldn't accept them," another replied. Alexis blinked, not knowing halfway what they were talking about.

"Sapphire Pegasus' effect activates. I can add one Gem Beast Monster to my spell and trap card zone," he explained as a topaz gem appeared on the field. "Now, I activate the spell card Gem Promise. It allows me to summon the Topaz from my spell zone."

"I activate Shi-En's effect and negate that spell!" his opponent yelled hastily. Judai smirked.

"Very well, I activate the spell card, Pot of Greed," he said simply, returning his hand count to four. "Now, I activate the spell card Emergency Teleport."

"What? Another rare card?" someone cried.

"Just how many rare cards are in that deck?"

"With it, I special summon Krebons in attack mode," Judai continued. "I tune the level four Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus to the level two Krebons…"

The room suddenly became dark, and dropped twenty degrees. Judai was particularly fond of this combo. It matched him perfectly. Frozen mist filled the store, making more people, including the shopkeeper interested in the duel.

"Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier," Judai half-growled, placing the card on his disk. People gasped as an ice-encrusted dragon with a star-shaped mane roared, its holographic projection freezing some of the light fixtures. It had twenty-three hundred attack points and fourteen hundred defense points.

"Wow," Alexis muttered. Some of the observers stood back in fear, despite it being a hologram.

"With Brionac's effect, I send one card to the graveyard to return the facedown to your hand," he explained, discarding Ruby Carbuncle, sending Mirror Force back to his opponent's hand. His opponent's smirk faltered. "Now, I use activate the spell card Gem Blessing to bring the Ruby and Sapphire to my spell and trap zone."

"W-What's the use of that? It's not like they have any abilities!" the teen exclaimed. Judai ignored the boy's rant.

"I activate the spell card Rare Value. Send one of the gems to the cemetery and I draw two," he said.

"I-I pick the Ruby!" his opponent declared after obvious thought. Judai remained quiet as Carbuncle disappeared and he drew two more cards.

"I activate the effect of my Gem Beacon. Since I have two Gems in my spell zone, I can special summon Gem Beast Amethyst Cat to my field. Now, I activate my second Emergency Teleport," he sighed. 'Might as well end this quickly.'

"A second one?!" someone cried.

"That deck must be worth millions! How'd he get it?" another exclaimed.

"With a second Krebons on the field, I tune my Summoner Monk and my Amethyst Cat with Krebons. I synchro summon…" he started. The floor rumbled as the wall next to Judai shattered to pieces. Out of it, a massive purple worm slithered through. People gasped as it and Brionac took places at either of Judai's sides. The worm had twenty-five hundred attack points and two thousand defense points. "… Mist Wurm."

"Holy-," the teen in front of Judai muttered.

"Mist Wurm's effect allows me to send up to three cards on my opponent's field back to the hand the turn he's special summoned," Judai said.

"B-But that means…"

"You're wide open. Mist Wurm, Brionac, finish this game," Judai said. His opponent groaned as his life points hit zero. Judai simply placed the deck gingerly in its holster and made to leave when the crowd approached him.

"How much for that deck?" someone shouted.

"I'll pay anything!" another person cried.

"I'll double whatever anyone offers!"

"I'll triple it!"

"I'm not interested," Judai sighed. They paused for a second.

"Surely there's…" someone began.

"No. This is very precious to me. I will not give it up for the world," he replied. "I think it's time for me to leave."

"W-wait!" Alexis called, running after him. He turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"That was amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks," he smiled, as they strolled down the busy street. "By the way, where are you going?"

"My parents will be home soon, so I think I'll be heading home," she replied, taking a peek at her cell phone.

"I see. Well, good evening, then," he said, turning in the opposite direction. Alexis paused for a moment before she made her decision.

"Mr. Yuki!" she called after him. He stopped again and turned around. Even though it had happened moments before, it seemed like déjà vu, like it had happened before, as if it was in another lifetime.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"N-No. I-I was just wondering if you'd accompany me home," she asked, uncharacteristically shyly.

"You do realize that this wasn't a date, right?" Judai asked amusedly.

"Y-yeah, I know. M-My family wants to meet the guy who beat me, though," she explained. He nodded.

"I do have one request, however," he said.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"Please don't call me Mr. Yuki. Just call me Judai. It's less awkward," he answered. "I'm not your senior."

"O-Okay, Judai," she laughed sheepishly. "You've told me that so many times, but I keep forgetting."

He smiled genuinely for the first time in ages. Perhaps Yubel was right. Perhaps this was a second chance. He shook his head. It was impossible. He could never fall for this girl, no matter how much it killed him inside. He'd already lost a lot of his humanity.

"How so?" Yubel asked, reading his thoughts.

"How so, what?" the brunette asked back. Alexis was currently on the phone, alerting her brother of their house guest.

"Why can't you fall for this girl? She seems nice enough. She's just like her," Yubel said.

"That's exactly why," he replied.

"I don't follow," she said. For once, she couldn't understand him.

"She looks like her. She acts like her. She sounds like her. She even duels like her. Don't you see? If I fall for her, it's a replacement for Asuka. It's superficial. This girl deserves more than that. Even if we do somehow end up together, how do I explain my role in the history **and **future of the world?" he explained. His reasoning surprised her. He'd put thought into this, and it was logical. If he did fall for this girl, it would be superficial, no matter how she put it.

"I-I…" the humanoid dragon muttered.

"It can't happen. At best, I can remain her friend. I don't want to hurt Alexis," he sighed. She'd led him to the train station, holding his wrist the entire time. For the first time in years, he could feel warmth in his painfully cold body. It radiated and filled his soul, like the light at the end of a tunnel.

"Yubel!" Judai exclaimed.

"What is it, Judai?" she asked.

"I-I… Did you feel that?" he asked.

"Feel what?" she was thoroughly confused, worrying that he was talking about a new enemy or possibly his waning sanity.

"I can feel," he muttered.

"Feel?"

"I don't feel cold," he looked at the blonde standing beside him.

* * *

Judai gapped slightly as he took in the Victorian architecture of the Rhodes residence as they approached. Obviously her parents were well off, just like Asuka. Fancy cars lined the streets and the lawns looked immaculately maintained.

"Nice place you have here," he commented absent-mindedly said.

"Thanks. My parents work as executives at Kaiba Corporation," she explained. It reminded him of his father, who'd worked closely with Kaiba himself.

"I see," he replied. "So tell me a little about yourself."

"Well, I have an older brother," she started. "I just told you about my parents. I like to duel, play sports, and read. There really isn't much to say about my past. It's really just normal and somewhat boring. What about you?"

He stopped walking; rather, he couldn't walk anymore. Three words. That was all it took. Three words and he froze like the blood in his dragon. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to falter when he was asked about his past. He was Yuki Judai, silent savior of the world, of the dimension, of all existence.

"Judai?" Alexis asked, worried. He snapped out of his trance upon hearing her voice.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" he replied, playing off his near loss of composure.

"I just asked what about you? Then you froze like a statue," she said.

"Sorry. Um… Let's see… Well, I was born and raised in Neo Domino City. My parents put me in accelerated courses until they died when I was ten. For the years after that, I traveled the world with a relative, then came back and got a job as a teacher," he said, not even believing his own fabricated history.

"I'm so sorry," she sighed.

"For what?" he asked curiously.

"I brought up some bad memories, didn't I?" she asked, showing him to the doorstep.

"I-It's alright. The past is the past," he assured her. She nodded.

"Atticus, I'm home!" she called out. The older Rhodes appeared from around the corner with a blonde woman and two older people. "Mom! Dad!"

"Welcome home, Alexis," Mrs. Rhodes greeted cheerfully, hugging her daughter. Despite looking well into her forties, the woman looked to be full of life. She had wavy brown hair and hazel eyes.

Mr. Rhodes repeated the manner, hugging his daughter lovingly. He looked also to be in his late forties with short blonde hair and sparkling brown eyes. Judai was about to leave silently when he heard them speak again.

"Alexis, is this your boyfriend?" Mrs. Rhodes asked curiously, glancing at Judai. The ex-Osiris duelist removed his glasses and tried to smile.

"Boyfriend?" Judai asked, confused. Mr. Rhodes' demeanor changed drastically. He was watching Judai like a hawk, examining the boy up and down.

"Mom! No, he's not my boyfriend," Alexis exclaimed. Her face turned a faint red.

"Then who's he?" Mr. Rhodes asked. Judai flinched for the umpteenth time that day.

"That's the guy I was telling you about," the Fubuki look-alike explained. Both parents blinked.

"This is the guy?" Mrs. Rhodes asked.

"I expected someone older… not a hipster," Mr. Rhodes said, scratching his chin.

"Pardon?" Judai shot back.

"Dad!" Alexis exclaimed.

"Dear, be nice," Mrs. Rhodes admonished. "Won't you come in, dear?"

"Is it alright?" Judai asked cautiously.

"Please! We insist," Atticus exclaimed, clasping Judai's hand, pulling him inside.

He sighed as he sat awkwardly on the couch in the Rhodes' sitting room. They were all looking at him and he had absolutely no idea what to say. If he were his old self, he'd probably have no problem starting a conversation, but he'd become recluse. He had nothing to say.

"S-So what's your name?" Atticus finally asked.

"Yuki Judai," the brunette replied.

* * *

And fin! How was it? Give me your opinions! For all the competitive Yu-Gi-Oh players, I know I'm using banned cards, but Brionac doesn't deserve to be banned, especially when you see what Konami has slated for released later this format and for the next one. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions about the story, feel free to ask, and I'll answer in the next chapter. Until next time,

Transparentchaos signing out!


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